Chapter Text
“Nope."
"But Zooble, I included more 'matoor' elements you fancied from previous adventures.” Caine pleaded, hovering above where the cast stood. Everyone else seemed to accept Zooble’s absence as they began to walk away, only to be forced to turn back.
"I'm not going. And besides, I was dragged into the last two adventures, which far exceeds my allotted [%@&$#] to give," they snapped.
Caine's shoulders drooped. He opened a portal and unceremoniously scooped up everyone else, their shrieks of surprise drowning out into the void. The portal closed nearly as fast as it appeared. With that, Zooble continued the trek to their room.
"Now Zooble," he said, floating in front of them to block their path and donning his usual appeasement in his words. "I've been trying my best to make you happy. I tried to give you your Zoobles, make adventures more 'Matoor', but I fear it... isn't really working."
Zooble twitched an antenna in annoyance, crossing their arms as they narrowed their eyes. "Caine, don't tell me you're trying to do this [%&@!] again."
The ringmaster clasped his fingers, shaking his head. "Oh Zooble, I've done my absolute best to learn, but my whole existence is to make your time in The Amazing Digital Circus Amazing!"
They didn't respond to that.
Caine's eyes glanced away a bit before he slouched his shoulders, arms hanging limply at his sides. "I tried my best to wrap my mind around it, but after hearing your 'one thing I really want' request, I couldn't get it out of my head."
One thing? What thing? Zooble was quiet for a moment before their eyes widened, the wing attachment on their back quivering in anxiety. There was no way. They mostly said it to put their request into the void, for it to go in one ear and out the other. They knew they didn't have anything in their parts chest to appease that carnal want inside of them. Not even just for pleasure, but to feel human.
"Go on," Zooble spoke, curiosity outweighing caution.
Caine shook his head, his voice picking up speed seemingly like he was trying to spit out his words and get it over with.
“Since my primary objective is to make all my guests happy, I must take into account any and all requests, recommendations, and needs of the circus inhabitants. Although limited in my ability, I have learned ways to adapt and improve. While I can't permanently alter the physical avatars of these guests, this does not mean that all methods, conventional or not, have to be ruled out as impossible. If used in conjunction with the wishes of the guests, such a collaboration can be manifested when given proper instruction and implementation."
Zooble merely blinked, not believing what they were hearing.
Raising his hand and snapping his fingers, an innocuous number 2 pencil appeared between Caine’s gloved fingers.
"Though I aim to keep the Circus appropriate for ALL ages,” Caine explained, “I recognize the potential needs of my guests, and so, I have adjusted my censors," as he looked into their eyes, his voice was now bolder, "for this specific instance."
"I-I don't...." Zooble sputtered.
"Ah-ah! Let me finish!" He scolded, pulling the pencil back a bit. "With this instrument, I have specifically instructed my abilities to be able to translate written images to their Circus-made counterparts. To avoid misuse and further code anomalies, this instrument can only be used a total of five times."
This was one of the few times Zooble felt truly at a loss for words. It seemed they didn't need to speak again before Caine continued, placing the pencil in both of his outstretched hands, almost as if presenting them with a fine dish on a platter.
Zooble felt frozen, mind abuzz with senseless words and fluff that they couldn't string together. They blinked a couple times, bringing themself back into what was in front of them. Using the humanoid hand they had today, they shakily picked up the pencil, almost scared to drop it, as if it would clip through the floor or shatter like Gangle's mask. As they looked up at Caine, his creepy eyes stared through them in anticipation.
"I... I," Zooble stuttered, pulling the pencil close, "I can't believe I'm... I can't believe you actually tried.” They gave a bark of disbelief and shook their head, before looking back up." Thanks... for trying."
It was as if those words were serotonin injected straight into his code. Caine’s body lurched with joy, and he clasped his hands together in an elated swoon. "Why Zooble, I always go above and beyond for my guests!"
Before Caine could disappear and pretend none of this had happened, Zooble took a step forward, "Wait! Does this take... written stuff too? Like sentences that describe what can't be drawn in it."
"Why yes indeed," Caine nodded dramatically. “Anything to bring your vision to life!"
Zooble gave another incredulous laugh. "W-wow."
"Now now, before I set you loose, I must state some terms and conditions." Caine’s eyes and body locked up as his voice sped up faster than before, as if he were listing side effects in a commercial.
"Requeststhatarenonphysicalsuchasemotionsorgoalsnotattatchedtoaphysicalrepresentationwillbeimpossibletoeffectivelyimplement, forproperusedetailmustbeincludedtopreventaccidentalinterpretationsormistakesingenerationorlocationandanychangewillbepermanentunlessmanuallyandconsentuallyremovedbyeitherparty, anyindividualwithaccesstotheinstrumentcantakeadvantageofitseffectssomustbestoredwithcautioninordertoavoidmisuseandabuse, anyandallconsequencesfromphysicalmanofestationscanbeunpredictableandthusleavestheuserresponsibleforproperuse.” Caine relaxed, his voice returning to normal. “Any further questions?"
Zooble blinked, somehow understanding the gist of what he said. "No, uh... thanks."
Caine twirled up in the air in elation. "It is my greatest pleasure, my Patchwork Compadre!” he beamed. “I must now depart!
And with that, the ringmaster disappeared with a poof.
When someone hands you a bombshell, it can be hard to process. Zooble stared where Caine once floated, blinking a bit before looking down.
They didn't have to decide for very long before they hobbled to their room, one image immediately coming to mind as being their first request. Now inside their colorful room, they slammed the door and dug for a piece of paper to bring their vision to life.
Their limbs felt like they were tingling as Zooble drew, using the straight arm from their chest as a makeshift ruler to map out their room, carefully adding furniture and the stupid, tacky designs on their wall. They didn't register time passing as they finished, only knowing that it was as close to their room as they could manage. With a shaky sigh, they moved the pencil over, erasing a rectangle in the middle of the room, and then carefully drew its border until it was complete.
On the face of the door, they wrote in all capitals, "EXIT", complete with a handle and shading along the frame to make it as foolproof as possible. They hesitated a bit as the pencil moved to the side, writing in the margins:
"This door is an exit from the Circus"
"When opened, it will lead to the outside world"
"Once the human crosses, they return to their original body"
As they finished the sentence, Zooble sighed, rubbing one of their arms in thought. Many times, they had fantasized about their life before and longed for it back. If anything, they simply wished for a body that was theirs. For years, they had been searching for a look or combination that finally made sense– something that made them feel whole, at least a little.
Looking down at the pencil, Zooble rolled it between their thumb and index finger. They saw that on one of the sides below the eraser were five white dots, signifying how many tries they had left. Clenching it in their hand, they looked around one of the vanity mirrors they assigned as a desk. A small cabinet was nearby, and they opened it to find papers inside.
Most of them were simply combinations or crude drawings, noting the parts they liked or disliked compared to the others they had. On the top, however, was one of Gangle's drawings, depicting one of her characters inspired by some of Zooble's parts.
If they had a mouth, they would smile.
Shaking their head a bit, they gingerly placed the pencil at the very bottom of the stack, mixing it in with various other writing utensils they had accumulated over the years. They hoped it would be enough to blend in. Scenarios flashed in their mind, but they brushed them off as far-fetched.
Time didn't really matter here, but they figured enough time had passed that they’d skipped dinner and drawn into the evening. Might as well sleep and wait for this magical graphite to manifest itself.
It was hard to fall asleep that night.
When Zooble woke up, the usual grogginess that accompanied them vanished once they remembered what was supposed to await them. They sat up, chills crossing their plastic skin as they saw a medium-sized door, painted red with big, bold white letters spelling "EXIT."
Slowly, they stood up, cautiously approaching it.
Is this it? Would they finally be free of this Hell? It was worth a shot. Reaching out to the handle, their hand made contact with the cold metal. It turned as they briefly held their breath.
The door opened to....
Nothing.
Just like that, their posture shrank, sighing as they looked at the mirror on the other side of the far wall through the frame. Seeing their triangular head, mismatched eyes, and limbs, all through their hope for an exit, was dismal. With a grunt, they slammed the door, not even bothering to hide it as they left their room and walked into the hallway. By the time they came back, it would probably be gone. During the day, their rooms would tidy themselves up into their default state, only keeping foreign things intact if requested.
They turned their head down the hall as they heard laughter from one of the common areas. In the mix of voices, Zooble could hear a distinct, high-pitched one that they had grown fond of: Gangle's.
The prospect of seeing her gave them some newfound motivation as they began the trek, crossing their arms in thought. Caine gave them this gift, and of course, their first thought was escape, which didn't even work. Does that mean that one attempt didn't work? Or was it just to give Zooble false hope? They began thinking of ways to make it theirs, but it was a weird sensation.
Theirs.
The years in the circus, despite its changes, had one constant. Zooble never felt at home, even in their own skin. So many parts, so many combinations. It was a never-ending search to feel whole again, and with this, it gave them a spark of hope that this could be something that gives them something else—the feeling of being human again. Sex was only a small part of it. They knew, deep down, that they just wanted their autonomy.
No matter. They had a literal eternity to figure it out.
By the time they arrived, it was just Ragatha and Gangle in one of the common areas. Ragatha was the first to notice, looking up from the puzzle on the table. "Oh, it's Zooble! Missed ya yesterday!"
At the mention of their name, Gangle turned around and smiled, porcelain mask intact." Hi!"
Zooble waved a hand in greeting, now realizing they hadn't rearranged their parts yet. Maybe they would switch their left arm today, since their right was actually more manageable, considering how much easier it was to draw the door with it.
They sat on the couch next to Gangle as she doodled. “Whatcha doing?" they asked no one in particular.
Ragatha shrugged. "I managed to find a new puzzle! The image still doesn't make too much sense, but hey, it's something new!"
Gangle was quiet until she noticed they were waiting for her response. "Oh, it's nothing,” she answered in a quiet voice.
"It doesn't look like nothing," Zooble spoke, craning their neck a bit to look at Gangle’s sketchbook. They could see a character that resembled a human with furry pointed ears.
Now that she knew Zooble had noticed, Gangle instinctively shielded her sketchbook, relaxing a bit when they realized they wouldn’t poke and prod. The ribbon that made up her arms and shoulders shrugged. "Oh, uh... just a new character idea, nothing special."
"She looks cool," Zooble said neutrally. They could now see that the woman had pronounced canines and dark, dog-like ears, her hands were pointed into claws. The flannel she wore drew their attention. Pointing at it, they added, "You did a great job rendering the plaid fabric."
Gangle blinked, obviously not used to others seeing her work... consentually, let alone having it praised. From the floor, Ragatha raised her head. “Mind if I see? I haven't seen a lot of your art."
When she hesitated, Ragatha waved a hand passively before adding, "No worries if not, I get it!"
"No, uh," she said, turning her sketchbook to Ragatha and reaching it over when she saw the doll lean forward to get a better view.
It wasn't lost on Zooble the way Gangle wrang her ribbons together, watching their friend as she looked at the drawing. Ragatha's one eye widened. "This looks great, Gangle! Do you have some more?"
"Oh," Gangle blinked in surprise, almost taken aback by her friend's interest. “Yeah, I have some more doodles on the previous page, if you want to look at them."
The page turned as Ragatha took it in. "These are some cool drawings, I love the different forms you made!"
With that, she reached the book over the table, handing it back to Gangle. The ribbon girl sat up a bit higher from the praise. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."
"I'll say the same if I get a peek too," Zooble gently teased.
Her mask cracked a smile, handing it over, but before Zooble could get a chance to properly look, a gloved yellow hand shot down from above and ripped it from their grasp. "What's this?"
Before Zooble could snatch it back, Gangle let out a cry as Jax flipped through her sketchbook, fully ignoring the ribbons that fumbled over the couch in a desperate effort to retrieve it. Ragatha stood up from the floor and exclaimed in alarm. The tall rabbit held out his arms, a smile spreading across his obnoxious face as he said, "You're showing these losers your furry art but not your best friend?"
"Jax, don't be an [&@%] today," Zooble said.
"Whaaaat, I can't enjoy some anthropomorphic anime girls?" he asked, cocky.
"No,” Zooble narrowed their eyes. “I'm merely suggesting you hang out with your new best friend.”.
Ever since the gun “adventure,” Pomni and Jax have been... different. From being the newest buddy pair to barely looking in each other’s direction, something had obviously happened. Zooble didn't want to deal with this today, let alone humiliate their friend.
"What's Pomni doing?" they asked, casually twisting over the back of the couch and resting their arm on the edge. "I figured you would be two peas in a pod after murdering everyone."
Something crossed Jax's face before he sneered. "You kidding? Laaammme," he held the sketchbook over his head and pushed Gangle's mask. "She takes this place wayyyy too seriously."
"Clearly," Zooble huffed. They could easily take this further, but figured it would be counterintuitive."Now that you've had your fun, go [%@&#] off somewhere else."
"Yeah," Ragatha said, finally storming over to the rabbit. He took a further step back, but realized it wouldn't improve his situation. "I told you what would happen, now go away."
Jax narrowed his eyes with a smile before dropping the sketchbook into Gangle’s ribbon arms.
"Fine, I see how it is,” he sighed with mock exhaustion. Have fun at your tea party!"
As Jax started to walk away, he grinned over his shoulder, waving his fingers mockingly. "Later, Ribbons!"
There was an air of malice to his posture, almost more than usual. Zooble didn't miss the way Gangle shrank a bit under his gaze. She brought her sketchbook against her chest protectively, sighing quietly in her voice as he disappeared from view. "I hate him."
Next to her, Zooble sighed in agreement. "Tell me about it."
"Good to see he is back to his old ways again," Ragatha added sarcastically, crossing her arms.
“Yeah, until something happened with Pomni."
"I still have no clue what happened," Zooble added, slumping back on the couch again. "Because last I saw them together, I've never seen them happier, despite wanting to kill me."
“Pomni was a little awkward at the whole Award Show. I'm not sure she wants to fully say her piece yet," Ragatha added. "I can try to ask."
"I think he's mad at me...," Gangle said quietly, almost to herself.
Zooble leaned forward a bit to try to meet their eye. "What does that mean?"
She shrugged. "I decided I didn't want to be on a team with him, and now I think he wants to take it out on me."
None of the three said anything for a while, but Zooble ended up breaking it. "Hey, who cares if he's mad?” they asked, lightly nudging Gangle with their elbow. “He's too full of himself to dwell on it for long."
Gangle opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but didn't. She pulled her sketchbook back, looked at her drawing again, and then closed the cover. "I sure hope so."
Ragatha, who had been quiet, perked up. "Hey! No need to worry about him now! I'm sure another adventure will be an apt distraction!"
Zooble was about to comment before a poof sounded behind them.
"Did somebody say adventure?”
Caine floated above them, eyes wide in excitement. Before he could speak, Zooble interrupted him. "Were you just hovering around waiting for someone to say your trigger word?" they asked sourly, glaring up at the AI.
"Don't worry about that," Caine waved dismissively. “There is adventure to be had!"
With a snap of his fingers, the rest of the cast were dragged in. Pomni and Jax looked thoroughly startled, eyes wide as they were plopped down on the Circus floor.
Caine rubbed his hands together excitedly. "And now, today's well-awaited adventure will be....” he closed his teeth in anticipation before announcing with bravado: “Caine's Crane Game!!!"
Zooble couldn't stop their eyes from rolling. "Aaannddd there's my queue,” they mumbled as they stood.
"Ah ah! Dear Zooble!" Caine said with a wag of his finger. "Today is a team exercise, and I can't make teams of two with five people!"
Zooble crossed their arms in exasperation. "Do we at least get to pick our teammate?"
They instinctively glanced at Gangle, thinking of how well they worked together last time.
"No can do! Random teams will make sure there is an equal chance of winning so as not to unbalance any skill level," Caine said brightly. Everyone gave a tired sigh.
"Anyways," the ringmaster said sarcastically, "Caine's Crane Game is a high-intensity skill game where each team operates crane controls and picks up items that correspond to different points. The team with the most points wins an exclusive prize!"
Zooble felt their limbs stiffen uncomfortably at the thought of possibly teaming up with Jax, but it was still a low possibility. If they were being forced into an adventure, at least it didn't sound like it would be terribly physically taxing. Either way, they didn't have much longer to think about it before they felt the floor drop out beneath them and darkness swallow them whole.